Method of making dies.



J. M. LYNCH,

METHOD OF MAKING DIES. APIfLIGATION FILED no.7, 1908.

v922,92 'Patented May 25,1909.

Dies, of which the following description,

UNITED sTa'rEs ATENT Enron.

JOHN M. LYNCH, or BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OFPATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF MAKING DIES.

, Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed December 7, 1908.. Seria1 No. 466,412.

Patented May To (1 7L whom "it may concem:

150 it known that I, JOHN M. LYNCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bev erly, in the county of Essexand Commonwealth ofMassachusetts, have invented cer tain Improvements in Methods of Making in connectionwith the accompanying drawings,

is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the sevcral figures. This invention relates to methods of making dies and particularly to methods of making dies for use in dying out the parts of uppers of boots and shoe. Dies of the type particularly intended to be made by the method of this invention have recently come into use in connection with die cutting presses of the t pe known as clicking machines. The clicking machine owes its designation principally to the fact that it performs quickly and easily work which has been performed until recently by hand by an operator sometimes called a clicker.

in devisinga successful upper cutting nia-- chine have been the necesslty for providing.

amachine in which the operator could inspect the stock as the ordinary cutter or clicker does in order that it might be cut up" to the best advantage and to provide a stock cutting diesuitable for use with such a machine. It is not only important that the machine be so constructed that the material may be exposed as much as possible during the displacing operation but it is also important that.the'd1e itself be so constructed as also to modeling these dies expose the material as much as possible. Another obstacle in the way of the production and general adoption of a successful machine for "dying out uppers-for boots and shoes has been not only the initialcost of the set of (lies necessary to produce the different styles and sizes of uppers manufactured in a single factory, but also the cost of replacin'g'or rewhen the styles have changed. ,In dying outu pers, a quite different problem is met Wit from that which conor heel lifts.

fronts the manufacturer in dying out soles Inasmuch as any inaccuracies in the shape of the soles or the heel lifts are corrected-in the final trimming operations, it is not so important that soles and lifts be out exactly tozpattern in the first instance.

In dying out uppers, however, it is important that the blank be cut exactly to pattern .in the first instance. Furthermore the outlines of the sole and lift dies are comparatively siinple and little 'diiiiculty is therefore experienced in approx ating the desired pattern. On the other and the outlines of the upper dies are frequently quite complicated and several'diiferent dies'are required for each upper, ne die being usually required for each part. Difliculty has there- I fore been experienced in shaping the die ma.-

terial into the exact out-line o the desired pattern to be cut by any method which would permit the manufacture of the dies required for a factory at a reasonable cost.

The principalobstacles to the successful dying out of uppers have been overcome by the machine above referred to, known as the clicking machine. This machine, in its present commercial form, comprises a stock sup porting bed, a die freely movable over saidbed and a presser arm also movable over said bed into and out of operative relation to said die. To permit the ready inspection of the stock the die is formed open within its outline and quite shallow. To avoid marring or scratching the stoclnthe die is preferably made comparatively light. In the tiperation of this machine it is important that the blank be. entirely out from the stock With one die cutting stroke of the presser arm and yet that the die be not driven so driven through the stock simultaneously and,

that no part of it may be driven too far it is practically essential that all parts of the said edge lie in one plane and that the die .be driven through the stock ina direction substantially "perpendicular both to this plane and to the plane'of the face of the cutting block. It; -yvill therefore be'seen that when the. die cutting pressure is exerted upon the upper edge of the die it is. practically essential not only that the presse'r arm or member exert pressure throughout all parts of said edge or equally aroun'd-theensea-92c tire outline of the die, but that the upper I with its attendant advantages of increased surface of the die lie in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the cutting edge.

Although these dies when used with a ma--, chine constructed like that hereinabove 'deconstitutes the subject-matter of this appliscribed are notcalled upon to perform very heavy work and are therefore not quickly dulled, it is nevertheless desirable that provision be made for convenient sharpening of t the dies in such manner that the cutting edge of the die will maintain its original outline. The cutting edge is, therefore, preferably a made to lie in the inner surface of the die.

The skins from which uppers are formed are 'cutfnp one at a time in order that the parts of'theskinzbest suited to particular parts of the upper may be used and that the skin may becut up to the best advantage so far as the number and sizes of the pieces are concerned and, therefore, blanks for different sized uppers are frequently out from the same skin. For convenience in assortin these blanks they are preferably marke during the cutting operation, and-for this purpose the diesare preferably provided with means for making upon the blanks any suitable mark of identification, for example a mark indicatin the size of the upper for whichfthe blank 1s intended.

Given a machine like that hereinabove described and an equipment of dies having the desirable characteristics hereinabove enumerated, there -is no question but that the cutting of the parts of uppers of boots and shoes by machinery has many advantages, both as to quantity of work and quality of Work, over hand cutting. It is important, however, for the commercial success of these machines that the dies be manufactured as cheaply as possible with due regard to durability and accuracy, since, as above suggested, separate dies being required for each size of shoe and-for each style, an equipment fora factory requires -ailargef number of dies and changes in styles of shoes necessitate the purchase of new (lies. It is therefore important that a method of making dies of the-general type above referred to be-devised by which such dies can beproduced by comparatively unskilled labor and at a small cost and a general object of the presentinvention is such a method.

A=particular object of the present invention is a method of making dies of the type above referred to having-the characteristics above enumerated by which such dies may be with dueregard to the frequent changes in' styles and the varieties of styles in use by different manufacturers IR will readily be seen that a method ofproducing dies which will (permit the general. clicking machine use of' the above-mentione scribed can be made in a cation has'been devised and by this method upper cutting dies true to pattern and so const-ructecl as 'to permit their successful employment in machines of the type above dereat variety of styles and sizesat comparatlvely small cost. This method comprises, in one of its important aspects, the production of a die having the general desirable characteristics above enumerated by bending approximately to the outline of the pattern to be cut by said die" material somewhat longer than said outline and then butt-weldin" together the ends of said material and at the same time reducing the blank or die so produced to pattern. To insureuniform results with these dies it is important that the die cutting movement in the machines be uniform and it is therefore further important that the dies be ofuniform height and that their upper and lower edges lie in substantially parallel planes.

An important feature of the invention therefore comprises a step, or steps, in the die making method which consists in bring:

ing the upper and lower edges into parallel planes and another step which may conveniently coincide with the preceding step or steps and which consists in reducing to uniform height the-dies of varying heights.

Other' important features of the novel method of this invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description illustrating the preferred manner of'practicing the method of this invention.

In the acchmpanying drawings,l*igure 1 shows in'extension and in section strips of the die material from which the parts of a die'Isuchas that shown in Fig. 4 maybe formed. F ig. 2 shows these strips bent into the outlines-of the two parts to be welded together to form the vamp die shown in vice for bending the die strips. Fig. 4 shows the die parts butt welded together before the burs are removed.- Fig. 5 illustrates the butt weldin operation. Fig. -6 shows the die with t e welding burs re-:

, Figs. 4 and 6. Fig. 3 shows convenient demoved and nicks pressed into a portion'of its cutting edge. Fig. 7 illustrates the final step in the operation of bringing the upper and lower edges of the die into parallel planes. Fig. "8 illustrates the preliminary bevelin'g operation, and Fig. 915 a section showing the two bevels by which the material of-the die is brought down to a cutting edge. i

In forming these dies a tem let is first provided 113E711? the outline of t e blank to e cut by the 1e and therefore the desired pattern and maintaining the cutting edges 1n almement during the welding operation.

table shown in Fig. '3 which comprises an marked in such manner that eacherid will be provided, after the-material beyond the witha view to diminishing the ditiiculties of In addition to the excess'of material proallow for the inaccuracies of bending a fur-- the die.

' i operation. In- Fig. lithe strips of 'die mateoutline of the cutting edge of the die. The pattern from which the templet is formed is usually furnished by the shoe manufacturer, each manufacturer having his individual styles. The templet having been formed, the length of its outline is deter mined and a piece of die material is taken having .a length somewhat greater than this outline. 1f the die is a large die having a more or less complicated outline such for example as the vamp dieshown in Figs. 4t and 6, it is preferably made of two or more parts welded together. In-determining the respective lengths of these parts the work-' man will divide the outline of the pattern forming the curves and corners in the die, apportioning the curvesand corners among the parts so as to facilitate-the shaping of the several die sections, and taking care also to have the free ends of the sections to be welded together located in such parts of the outline of the die as to facilitate reducing to in this case the aggregate length of the two pieces of die material which are to form the two parts of the die is somewhat greater than the length of the out-line of the templet. The excess of material in the two pieces is provided primarily for welding purposes.-

vided for welding purposes it is desirable to provideja further excess to allow leeway for bending and also to compensate for any inaccuracies in bending, The excess'required for welding is only about of an inch upon each end of each part of a two-part-die. To

ther excess of about 11-inch in length is added to each piece of material which is to-go into This makes a total of approximately two inches excess material used in forming an ordinary vamp die. After the material has been cut to the desired length itis heated inthose portions which it is de} sired to bend and then is bent'to the outline of the templet, this bending being performed in a step by step manner by any suitable meansjysuch, for example, as the bending interchangeable. anvil 10 set in the table 12, and a former'ior bender 14: operated-by an eccentric 16 towhich is attached the handle 18. After the bending o erati'onthe parts of-the die are laid upon the templet, or vice versa, and the two ends offeach art are mark has been severed, with about} of an' inch-of excess material for welding In cut-- ting off the ends a clean contact surface is provided oneach end for the butt'welding rial from which the two vamp dieparts,

being forced together. during the welding operation so that the excess of length of the die material is taken up and the completed die is reduced to pattern.

' The welding operation is illustrated in Fig. j 5, the two ends to be welded being clamped between clamp members 20, 22, 24k, 26, the clamp members 20 and '24 constituting electrical contacts. During the welding operation the two pairs of clamp members 20 and 22, 2i and 26 are moved relatively to eachother whereby the ends to be welded together are squeezed together and the heated excess material is forced out at each side, forming a bur. such as that shown at 28 or 30 in Fig. 4:. After the welding operation the burs are removed," the order of steps being preferably as-follows2 First the bur upon the outside of the die and upon the upper and lower edges is removed in any convenient manner as by grinding, then the die is put into a furnace and heated after t which it is.placed in a press and pressed in order to bring its upper and lower edges into substantially parallel planes. 'After "the straightening operation the bars upon the inside of the die are removed in any suitable manner as for example bychipping and filing, This heating operation serves to remove any strains which may have been left in the die as the result of the bending or, welding operations.

The pressing operation, serves to bring the 1 upper. and lower edges ofithe die into substantially iparallel planes but it is important, as hereinabove suggested, that the said edges be brought exactly into parallel planes. F or this purpose the following steps are performed: The cutting edge is first brought into one plane in any suitable manner, as for example, by so-called Gardner grinding upon the side of a rotating grinding disk. If the I cuttingedge is tobe provided with nicks, for

example size indicatlng nicks, the outer surface of the die where't-he'nicks are to be formed is ground down until the edge is of approximately the thickness desired for thefinal sharpening operations, and thenicks are then pressed into the edge as shown at r 3] idFig. 6. As this nicking operation is :likely to throw some portions of the cutting edge out of the planeproduced by the Gard ner grinding operation above referred to,

thedie is preferably again Gardner ground after the nicking operation. The upper surface'of' the .die is now brought into a plane lab parallel to the plane of the cutting edge and this operation may be performed conveniently upon several dies .at once, the dies being reduced at the 9.1- e time by removal of material from their u i iper edges to uniform height. In Fig. 7 is illustrated a convenient means for performing; this operation, the illustrated means comprising ahorizontal grinding disk 32 and a magnetic chuck 34 reciprocating below said disk, the dies placed upon said chuck with their cutting edges in contact with its upper face. "After the dies are reduced to uniform height and their upper and lower edges have been brought into parallel planes, two bevel's a'reprovidid upon the outside in order to sharpen-the cut-i ting edge, the first bevel- 36 being at a slight angle to the outersurface of the die and comparatively long and thesecond bevel 38 being of a more abrupt inclination and comparatively short. The first bevel 36 is preferably formed by grinding the outside of the die as shown in Fig. 8 those parts of the surface which cannot be reached by the. grinder being beveled preferably by filing.v The second bevel 38, the formation of which. constitutesthe final sharpening operation v is preferably formed by filing. This latter bevel gives to the die a chisel cutting'edge and prevents its being driven. easily into the block. It also permits shar ening the die with less danger of having di erent portions of the cutting edge in different planes.

Inasmuch as the outline of the blank to. be cut is determined by the cutting edge of the die and this lies when sharpened in the inner surface of the die,- it is important that,

the outline ofthis inner surface correspond exactly tothe outline of the .templet before the final sharpening operation and prefer,- ably before the initial beve-ling operation. An intermediate step therefore the for-. mation of these dies comprises fitting to the templet. This step is preferably performed after the operation of bringing the cutting edge into one plane by Gardner grinding saidi'edge. The fitting to templeit ,may be accomplished in any convenient manner, as

- for example by filing the inner surface to re-' move" any ,irre larities in its outline. If

the die is foun to be shortat this time it is lengthened out.

After the final sharpening operation the dies are tempered, polished an heated and provided with any accessories ith which it may be desired to equip them, such for example as stamps, stab points, or other indicating devices. After the tempering operation it is sometlmesn'ecessary to again fit the die to the templet and this fitting is prefer-ably accomplished Without heating the die by simply springing or bending any I parts which are out of. the desired outline into said outline,

ybe removed after the welding operation.

j; By the method hereinabove described an. upper cutting lie adapted to out exactly to a given pat-tern from which it is madecan readily be manufactured at a comparatively small costfespecially when many different dies are being made at once. It will be noted that in this method emphasis is placed especially upon butt welding together the ends of the die material.

manufacture of these dies, since it permits the cutting edges of the diewhich have previously been bent to the outline of the pattern to be kept in alinement.

Butt welding has many advantages over lap welding in the It also effects a saving of material and a saving of time I since there is not so much excess material to It "will be noted further that in making dies by this method the fit of the die to the pattern or templet canbe constantly watched ,andcontrolledand' that therefore any deviation of the eutlin'e of the die from the outline of the pattern to be cut by it can be checked and corrected at any stage in itsprogress toward completion. A great advantage 'Of l)l1iS method is that it renders practicable the manufacture of dies by comparatively unskilled labor, whereas highly skilled and expensive labor has always been required heretofore in the manufacture of "dies.

The term grinding used in the claims is intended to include any abrading operation by whichmaterial may be removed for x the purposes indicated.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. That improvement in the art of making dies which consists in providing a plurality of strips having an aggregate length greater than the length of the outline of the die to be made therefrom, making in succession a plurality of separated and distinct bends in one or more of said strips -to form die sections, after each bending fitting the strips to pattern, and butt welding together ficulties of forming the curvesand corners I in the die, bending and fitting strips of die I material, each of a length approximately 125 the same as that of one of said sections, to

conform each strip to its respective section of the outline of the pattern, and butt welding together the ends of said strips, insaid formed by saidbending to a pattern to make the outline of one edge of said plane face conform to the outline of the pattern, and

Cir

then butt welding the ends of said material, during the butt Welding operation maintain ing the cdges of the plane faces 1011 the adjacent ends of the material in substantial alinenient.

et. That improvement in the art of making dies which consists in bending to the outline of the desired pattern to be cut by said die material somewhat longer than said outline and butt welding together the ends of said material and at the same time forcing said ends together to reduce the blank or die thus formed to the size of the pattern, and maintaining the cutting edges on the ends in aliuement during the butt welding operation.

.7. That improvement in the art of making stock-cutting dies which consists in shaping to different parts of the pattern strips of die material the aggregate length of which is somewhat greater than the length'of the outline of the pattern, and' then welding together the ends of the sections thus formed to make a die having the outline of the pattern,,at the same time reducing the said die to the size of the pattern and during the welding operation' maintaining in alinement the edges of the strips which are to form the cutting edge of the die.

6. That improvement in the art of making dies which consists informing from strips of die material a plurality of die sections having an aggregate length somewhat greater than. the outline of the desired, pattern to be cut by the die, successively fitting the cutting edge of the sections to different portions of the pattern, and then butt welding together the said sections, maintaining the cutting edges on said sections in alinement during the butt Welding operation, and at thesame time reducing the cutting edge of the die thus formed to the size and-shape of the pattern. I

7 That improvement in the art of making dies which consistsin forming from strips of material a plurality ofdiiferently shaped sections having an aggregate length some what greater than the outline of the desired pattern to be cut by the die, fitting said seclions to the outline of an irregularly shaped pattern, and then butt welding together the ends of the said sections and at the same time forcing said ends together to reduce to the size of the pattern the blank or die thus formed, during said butt welding operation maintaining the cutting edges on the sections in alinement. I

8. That improvement in the art of making dies which. consists in bending to the outline of the desired pattern to be cut by said. die material of a length somewhat greater thansaid outline, welding together the ends of said material and during the welding operation reducing the blank or die thus formed to the size of the pattern, and then pressing the upper and lower surfaces of said die into substantially parallel planes.

9. That improvement in the art of making dies which consists in bending strip die material to the outline 'of the pattern to be cut by said die, Welding together the ends of said material and at the same time conform-' .said die material of a length somewhat greater than said outline, welding together the ends of said material and at the same time reducing the die thus formed to pattern, pressing the upper and lower surfaces of said die into substantially parallel planes, and reducing the said surfaces to bring them exactly into parallel planes.-

11. That improvement in the .art ofmaking dies which consists in bending strip material to the outline of the desired pattern to be cut by said die,.welding together the ends of said material and at the same time conforming the die thus formed to the pattern, grinding one of the faces of saiddie to bring it into a plane and then grinding the other face of saiddie to bring it intoa 'plane parallel to'said first-mentioned plane and at a predetermined distance therefrom.

12. That improvement in the art of making dies which consists in heating'and bending strip die material approximately to the shape of the pattern to be cut, Welding together the ends of said material and at the saine'time conforming the die thus formed to pattern, pressing the upper and lower faces of said die into substantially parallel planes, reducing the cutting edge of the die to bring it into a plane and then reducing the opposite edge of said die to bring itinto a plane parallel to the plane of the cutting edge and at.- the same time reduce the die to I a predetermined height. I I

1 That improvement in the art of making dies which consists in bending to the outline of the desired pattern to be cut by i the (lie material of a. length somewhat greater than said outline,welding together the ends of 'said material and at the same time reducing the die thus formed to pattern, grinding the cutting edge of said-die to bring it into one plane and then reducing said die and others similarly formed to uniform height at the same time bringing the upper edges of said dies into planes parallel to and equidistant from the planes of their tern, grinding one face of said die to bring said face within one plane, placing-said die and others so formed with their plane faces upon a plane surface and then successively grinding the upper faces of said dies in such manner-as to bring them into a plane parallel to that including the under faces and at a predetermined distance therefrom.

15. That improvement -in the art of making dies which consists in bending to the outline of the desired pattern to be cut. by

said die material of a length somewhat greater than said outline and of a width somewhat greater than the desired height of the die to be formed, welding together the ends of said material and at the same time reducing the die thus formed to pattern and then reducing said die to the desired height.

16. That improvement in the art of making dies which consists in bending a strip of die material somewhat longer than the outline of the pattern to be cut approximately to the shape of said pattern, reducing the excess of material upon the two ends of the strip to predetermined and equal amounts, at the same time providing a clean contact surface and then electrically butt welding together the said ends and at the same time reducing the die thus formed to pattern. 17. That improvement in the art of making dies which consists in bending to the outline of the pattern to be cut by the die material having a length somewhat greater than said outline, welding together the ends of said material and at the same time reducing to pattern the die thus formed and then grinding the cutting edge of said die. 18. That improvement in the art of makmg dies which consists in bending to the outline of the desired pattern to be cut by said die ma-terial of. a length somewhat greater than said outline, welding together the ends of said material and at the same'time reducing the die thus formed to pattern, beveling the outer surface of said die toward the cutting edge and then filing upon said die at the lower end'of said bevel a chisel cutting edge. I

19. That improvement in the art of making dies which consists in bending to the outline of the desired pattern to be cut by said die material of a length somewhat greater.

, which consists in bending into substantially the outline of the desired pattern to be cut by said die material having a length somewhat greater than said outline, welding together the ends of said material and at the same time reducing the die thus formed to the size of the pattern, forming nicks in said die transverse to its' cutting edge and then fgrinding said die upon its outside to form a sharp cutting edge.

21.- lhat improvement in the art of making dies provided with indicating offsets in their cutting edges which consists in bending strip material into substantially the outline of the desired pattern to be cut by saiddie. welding together the ends 'of said material and at the same time conforming the die. thus formed to the size of the pattern, bending in from the outside of the die the cuttingedge ofi'sets thereby leaving said outside edge free from protuberances and then grinding said die upon its outside to form a sharp cutting edge.

22. That improvement in the art of making diesprovided with indicating offsets in their cutting edges which consists in bend ing into substantially the out-line of the desired pattern to be cut by said die material having a length somewhat greater than said outline, welding together the ends of said material and at the same time reducing the die thus'formed to the size of the pattern, grinding aport-ion of the outer i Letters Patent No. 922,926.

Corrections It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 922,926, granted May 25, 1909, upon the application of John M. Lynch, of Beverly, Massachusetts, for an improvement in Methods of Making Dies, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: In line 58, page 1, the Word shape should read shape; lines 104 and 105, page 2, the words illustrating the preferred manner of practicing the method of this invention should be stricken out and inserted after the word' drawings in line 106, same page; line 10, page 4, after the word dies the word being should be inserted, and in line 54-, same page, theword' heated should read painted;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with thesecorrections therein that I the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oifice.

Signed and sealed this 15th day of June, A. D., 1909.

[SEAL] o. o. BILLINGS,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 7 

